Tears, Comfort and Something More
by l1lyfl0w3r
Summary: Lily just received The Letter. A lot of people in Hogwarts have been receiving The Letter. When the news it brings is too much for Lily, she finds herself running away from it all and into the Forbidden Forest, her only company a stag she names Charlie.


AN: I actually started writing this story on my iTouch and completely forgot about it till I got an iPhone and the note from the iPod transfered over to my phone so when I was checking the notes, I was like, oh! Look at this! Happy Readings!

Disclaimer: If I was J.K. Rowling, I probably wouldn't be writing Fanfictions. I'd be writing a book on Lily and the Marauders years at Hogwarts.

Lily stared at the letter before her in her hands. Why was it shaking so violently? Oh, it was her hands that were doing it. Lily feared the worst from the letter. She didn't even have to open it to know what dark message it held inside. Numerous amount of students since the start of term had gotten the same cream colored enveloped, addressed in royal blue ink. Lily knew it was a matter of time before she got one. As painful as reality was, it was inevitable that the same fate befall to her muggle parents.

It wasn't long before the tears slipped from her eyes, falling into her morning pumpkin juice. She had no reason to stop the tears. She knew what the letter contained and though her brain told her that she didn't need to open it, it was her heart that needed the confirmation. Everyone around her seemed to be in an abyss, talking joyously about their Christmas plans. No one but one took notice as the Head Girl, with shaking fingers, silently opened the letter.

Dear Ms. Evans,

We are sorry-

Lily closed her eyes. She couldn't do it. She tried to reason with her heart that she didn't need to read any further; that it will only break her heart more than it already was. But she needed too. She needed to see it in writing so that her mind wasn't playing cruel tricks. She continued reading.

Dear Ms. Evans,

We are sorry to inform you that as of yesterday, December 19, at precisely 11:49pm, your parents were found dead in their home in London. The cause of death, as determined by the aurors, was the killing curse. The body of your muggle sister was not among your parents. We have reason to believe she is still alive. We are very sorry for your loss.

"Oh, Lily, I'm so sorry." Lily knew she shouldn't have overreacted. His intentions were good but it was too much. Everything was just too much at that moment.

"It's _Evans_, Potter," she snapped. Whether James had a death wish or not, Lily felt his arms start to wrap around her waist in what was supposed to be hug. Maybe for solace?

"Get off me! Leave me alone, Potter!" She yanked his arms off from her. She tried hard to fight the tears. She couldn't do this.

Lily heard James call after her as she started to run away; she found herself running out of the Great Hall and out of Hogwarts. Her legs didn't stop once she was outside and took her running toward the Forbidden Forest. She knew this was a bad idea but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything right now. She didn't care that the branches were cutting into her legs, arms and cheeks. She didn't care when she tripped over a log, nor did she care when she tasted blood in her mouth. Her parents were dead. Why should she care?

She kept running, deeper and deeper into the forest. She wondered how much attention she caused back in the Great Hall. Would every one stop what they were doing and look for her? What about James? Everyone was probably too enthralled in conversations about the upcoming holiday to probably even notice the scene that had taken place. She found that she didn't care. Even if someone did see her, she wanted to be alone. How long had she been running? Time held no purpose anymore for her.

She stopped running; the adrenaline wearing off. Panting, she began looking around and saw nothing familiar. Of course she wouldn't find anything familiar, she'd never been in the Forbidden Forest before. She found a stump nearby and reposed herself on it, exhausted. Here, she cried and cried. The tears came out so freely that she never tried to stop. She didn't want to either. She cursed the world for taking her parents away from her. They didn't deserve to die. No deserved to die like that. No one.

It was on this stump that a stag found Lily, sobbing, her face in her hands. When the stag accidently stepped on twig, Lily looked up and saw her companion.

"Go away!" Lily found a small branch and threw it at the stag. The animal merely stepped aside. Lily stared wide eyed at the creature. Any normal animal would have scampered off in fright. She wiped the tears off her face, unfogging her vision as she did so. The stag gently began to edge its way over to Lily and she let it. When the animal was close enough, she held her hand out, petting it. The soft fur beneath her palms instantly soothed her. She began to talk to it, hoping it would take her mind of certain matters.

"Well, aren't you a peculiar animal. Then again, you do live in the Forbidden Forest. For all I know, you're probably some magical stag who can read my thoughts! Though, with my recent luck, you're probably a Death Eater in animagus form, ready to kill me at any moment." Lily laughed at her own sick joke. The deer, using its nose, lifted Lily's chin up, so their eyes meet. With the intensity of its gaze, Lily swore the stag was trying to tell her something.

"You have the exact same eye color as Potter," Lily told her new companion. "That soft, gentle brown. They almost look like chocolate. My father had brown eyes too. When I was younger and would wake up from a nightmare, it was his eyes that would comfort me. There was something about his brown eyes that always soothed me from my fears. His eyes got rid of all my nightmares." Lily hadn't meant to mention her father; the story just floated out form her mouth. The tears promptly followed. The stag knelt down on its legs, allow Lily to wrap her arms it, putting her face into the crook of its neck. And there Lily sat and cried for who knows how long.

It was only after Lily was no longer able to produce any more tears, did Lily finally pay attention to the stag. She started petting it, letting the softness of the fur calm her down and before long, she started talking to it as if it was her friend.

"I got a letter today. A lot of people are getting letters nowadays. I walk through the halls and smiles are never present. Only sarrow. No one should have to go through this crap that this Voldemort guy is doing. No child should have to live without their parents. No one should have feel this type of pain at such a young age. It seems like centuries ago, back in my first year, where none of the Voldemort and Death Eaters stuff existed, where everyone was happy. Families weren't torn apart and no one ever heard of murders. The only worries students had were exams, gossip and _crushes_." She snorted at the word crush. "Crushes, ha! Love can't possibly exist in a world with death, murder and hatred roam freely. If love conquers all then how come I see so many of my peers receiving that same stupid letter as me? My father's wrong. There's no love in this world."

The deer looked up Lily and titled its head to the side. It might have been a sign of confusion. "What? You want to know what my father said about love? You're a weird animal. We were on platform 9 ¾ and I was heading off towards my final year here. My parents knew what was going on in the Wizarding World. They knew of the war and they knew of the danger they were in since they were muggles. They also knew of Potter. Ugh, why'd he have to write to my over the summer? Why did he have to write to my dad over the summer? You know what happened, Charlie? Can I call you that? I can't really think of another name for you. Anyway, you know what happened? They became friends! Can you believe it! Potter and my father! Of all people in this world to befriend my father, why did it have to be Potter? So, right before I get on the train, my dad tells me that even though there's a war going on, even though people are dying every day, that even though it seems like evil is wining, all you need to survive is love. Love conquers all. He continues and tells me how I should try to give James a chance how, that James is actually a nice guy, how he really cares for me, blah, blah, blah. Can you believe that? My own _father_ telling me to give Potter a chance! Potter poisoned my dad's mind! And if that sounds bad enough, he continues about how much he loves my mother and how he wants me to find the same happiness he and my mom have and to stay close to my friends during this hard time. THEN Potter just had to walk into the conversation at that point and fist pump my dad! Yeah, that's right, fist pumps my own father!"

Had Lily known better, it looked like the stag was laughing. "Are you seriously laughing? Charlie, that's not funny! How would you like it if your mother and the one girl you hated most started scrap booking together?" A look of hurt and sadness entered the deer's eyes. A wave of guilt hit Lily. "Ugh, fine. I don't hate him that much. He has gotten a little mature since he became Head Boy. We have gotten friendlier this year, and he's actually quite funny when I give him the chance and sometimes he can even be sweet and caring, like that one time when he helped find a first year girl's cat." Lily gaspged has realization hit. "Holy chocolate frogs! Charlie, I'm falling for him. My father was right! It was going to happen." Lily put her head in her lap and groaned. The deer stood up and knelt before Lily, a twinkle in its eye. Lily was confused.

"What do you want?" The stag just continued to kneel before Lily. Finally it dawned on her; it wanted her to get on its back. "You might me to ride you?" Lily swore the deer nodded. Lily climbed up onto the deer and as soon as she was settled in, the deer took off. Lily had to hug the deer's neck otherwise she would have fallen off. Lily screamed in surprise at how fast the deer could run but it didn't take long for Lily to start enjoying the ride. She hesitantly released her grip around the animal's neck. She was able to steady herself without falling off. She lifted her arms in the air, enjoying the feeling of freedom, relief and comfort. For some strange odd reason, she felt comfortable. She was relaxed as the wind whipped passed her, the forest a blur before her eyes. She held no cares as the deer ran. Lily forgot how about letters and war. All she could think about how everything seemed to be lifted off her shoulders. She felt this strange connection to the deer. Not it a sick, creepy way but it felt like the stag was her best friend, it felt like the stag actually cared. Lily closed her eyes and just listen to the sound of the deer's breath, and before long, she found herself asleep.

Lily felt the sun shining on her face and the wind rushing against her skin. She slowly opened her eyes, letting them get adjusted to the light and sat up. As soon as she sat up, she wished she never had. She screamed. Loudly. Laying right next to her was none other than James Potter. Completely. Naked. The screams startled James; his eyes flew up, grabbed the nearest twig and stood up, waving the pointless stick randomly. Noticing there was no danger, he turned and found Lily, mouth wide opened horror and shock written all over her face.

"Oh, hey Lils. What's up?" He tossed the twig aside. Lily was speechless. She kept her eyes on his chest, not daring to let them slip any lower. "Why are you staring at my chest? Not that I mind, you can stare at me all you want but you look a little creepy doing it though." He looked down and realized why Lily was staring. He muttered a couple of profanities and ran as fast as he could behind a tree.

"Crap, Lily, I'm so sorry! I forgot this happens! Usually it's just me and the other mates and well, I guess we all got used to it! Crap, crap, crap." He muttered a few more other words. Lily came out of her daze.

"Why in Merlin's Pants are you here, Potter? You better have a good explanation or I'm reporting sexual abuse to Dumbledore." James peaked around the tree and saw fire in Lily's eyes.

"Ha-ha, funny story actually. You see, after you ran out after during Breakfast, I got really worried for you so I kind of followed you but I knew I was the last person you'd want to see so..um, I kind of transformed as a stag, or Charlie as you so sweetly named me, and made sure you were safe. I didn't want to see you hurt. And well, after the ride, I realized you had fallen asleep, so I let you done, transformed and well, next thing I knew, I woke up to you screaming bloody murder in my ear! The end. Nice story, eh? I should become an author. Ha, the looks of Padfoot when he hears that."

"How do you know about Charlie?" _Did I not just explain that?_ James thought. _Hmm, she must still be in a daze from my 6 pack_. He chuckled to himself.

"Silly, Lilly. Hey that rhymes! I'm a poet and I didn't even know it! Look, I did it again! Man, I'm on fire today. Wait 'till Moony hears about this! He'll be so proud!" Lily was so confused. James must have noticed her confused as he started to explain. "Long story, short. Moony's teaching me how to rhyme. Which is another story for another time. Preferably when I have clothes on. Or not, if you like. Either way fine's with me."

"Oh shut up, Potter. In your dreams."

"Every night, Lily dear. Every night." His grin lit up his face. Lily shook her head.

"Just explain to me how you know how Charlie."

"Tsk, tsk. Weren't you listening to my story? I'm Charlie. I'm an animagus. Have been for a couple years." Lily couldn't believe her eyes. James was the deer? That meant he heard everything she said last night. All her rantings…her confession. Crap. James must have known what Lily was thinking because he started to grin.

"So, you fancy me, eh?" Lily groaned. "Your pops was right. All I had to do was show you my sweet side and bam! you'd fall for me! Guess that means my sweet side is a deer. Hmm, we'll work on that, Lilykins. At least you recognized your feel-" James was interrupted by Lily's lip. She had kissed him to shut up. James couldn't believe it. Lily was kissing him! When James started to kiss back, Lily pulled away. Probably because she remembered he wasn't exactly covered up.

Lily tried to hide her grin. Lily didn't know what had come over her. As James was speaking, all Lily could hear was her father's words. Emotions flooded through her that she couldn't stop them. Before she knew it, she marched right up to James and kissed him squarely on the mouth. He couldn't stop smiling.

"Oh, stop it. You're face is going to get stuck like that. Now, err, go change back and get me out of the forest. I'm getting hungry." James grin, if possible, grew wider.

"As you wish."

AN: Cookies if you know the reference at the end of the story! Oh my goodness. So as I'm writing this, my 14 year old nephew comes into my room, looks over my shoulder and shouts "I want a cookie!" The rest of the conversation follows:

Me: Then what was the reference I used?

Nephew: Twilight!

Me: Fail! No! Go ask your mother which movie has the line "As you wish" in it!

Nephew: Harry Potter!

Me: Again, fail! It's Princess Bride!

Nephew: Oh, well, I've only seen that movie once.

Me: How can you only see Princess Bride once?

Nephew: I'm a guy?


End file.
